François Koepp, secretary general of Horesca, said Luxembourg was no longer attractive to tourists, despite a majority of cafés, hotels and restaurants complying with sanitary measures. Koepp said it was not fair to sanction a bar if its client are not respecting the rules.
From the start of the crisis, Horesca fought to raise awareness among the sector's businesses. Above all, Koepp said there had been a lack of transparency, and of precise explanations from the Department of Health, on the places and the way in which people are contaminated.
He said they were in need of more detailed information on the spread of the virus and how people are getting infected - whether it was from a trip abroad, or in Luxembourg. Without this information, Koepp said it was difficult to take necessary steps to advise clients on how to protect themselves.
At first, Koepp explained the 50 euro vouchers issued by the Ministry of Tourism were very successful.
However, more and more customers are opting to postpone their stay, while guests from abroad have cancelled their reservations because Luxembourg is classified as a risk zone by many countries.
Koepp attributed this to what he deems a "bad campaign" and lack of communication, leading to Luxembourg's poor image abroad. However, he remained optimistic that the situation could yet improve, and lauded members of the sector for doing good work.
